The present invention relates to system and apparatus for producing high quality laser-induced damage images, which are a plurality of damages inside a transparent material created by a pulsed laser beam, which is periodically focused at predetermined points of the material.
A number of techniques for creating a variety of patterns on the surface and inside of transparent substrates using pulsed laser radiation are well known.
One publication disclosing such techniques is the Russian invention #321422 to Agadjanov et. al., published on Nov. 16, 1970 (#140454529-33). The invention concerns a method of manufacturing decorative products inside a transparent material by changing the material structure by laser radiation. As disclosed, by moving a material relative to a focused laser beam, it is possible to create a drawing inside the material.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,734 to Fajans discloses a three-dimensional memory storage unit, which is prepared by carbonizing selected spots in a block of polymethylmethacrylate by means of a steeply converging laser beam. The energy of the beam is applied in pulses of such duration and at such intensity that carbonization takes place only at the focal point of the beam. U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,518 to Merard discloses a method for decorating transparent plastic articles. This technique is carried out by directing a pulsed laser beam into the body of an article by successively focusing the laser beam in different regions within the body of the article. The pulse energy and duration is selected based upon the desired extent of the resulting decorative pattern. The effect of the laser is a number of xe2x80x9cmacro-destructionsxe2x80x9d (fissures in the material of the article) appearing as fanned-out cracks. The pattern of the cracks produced in the article is controlled by changing the depth of the laser beam focus along the length of the article. Preferably, the article is in the form of a cylinder, and the cracks are shaped predominantly as saucer-like formations of different size arranged randomly around the focal point of the optical system guiding a laser beam. The device used to carry out this technique is preferably a multi-mode solid-state, free-running pulse laser used in conjunction with a convergent lens having a focal length from 100 to 200 mm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,207 to Urbanek et al. discloses a method of creating controlled decorations on the surface of a hollow symmetrical transparent article. This technique is preferably carried out on glass. The glass is preconditioned with a coating on the outer surface of the glass being approximately 1.2 mm thick and made of a material having at least 75% absorption of laser radiation. The technique is also carried out using a laser having a wave of length of 0.5 to 2 microns acting upon the external coating through the wall of the cylindrical glass article. The laser beam moves so that it is focused on the surface of the cylinder, and moves about the axis of symmetry of the cylinder to irradiate the aforementioned surface coating. As a result, the irradiated portions of the surface coating go through a phase change and a pattern is formed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,496 to Clement et al. discloses a method and apparatus for providing in a transparent material, such as glass or plastic, a mark which is visible to the naked eye or which may be xe2x80x9cseenxe2x80x9d by optical instruments operating at an appropriate wavelength. The Clement et al. Patent describes a method and apparatus for producing a subsurface marking which is produced in a body such as bottle, by directing into the body a high energy density beam and bringing the beam to focus at a location spaced from the surface, so as to cause localized ionization of the material. In the preferred embodiment the apparatus includes a laser as the high energy density beam source. The laser may be a Nd-YAG laser that emits a pulsed beam of laser radiation with a wavelength of 1064 nm. The pulsed beam is incident upon a first mirror that directs the beam through a beam expander and a beam combiner to a second mirror. A second source of laser radiation in the form of a low power He-Ne laser emits a secondary beam of visible laser radiation with a wavelength of 638 m. The secondary beam impinges upon the beam combiner where it is reflected toward the second reflecting surface coincident with the pulsed beam of laser radiation from the Nd-YAG laser. The combined coincident beams are reflected at the reflecting surface via reflecting two other surfaces to a pair of movable mirrors for controlling movement of the beam. The beam then passes through a lens assembly into the body to be marked.
Soviet patent publication 1838163 to P. V. Agrynsky, et. al discloses a process for forming an image in a solid media by processing of the optically transparent solid material by a beam of radiation with changeable energy for creation of the image.
WIPO Patent Document No. 96/30219 to Lebedev et al. discloses a technology for creating two- or three-dimensional images inside a polymer material using penetrating electromagnetic radiation. The technology can be used for marking and for producing decorative articles and souvenirs. Specifically, laser radiation is used as the penetrating radiation, and carbonizing polymers are used as the polymer material. By these means, it is possible to produce both black and half-tone images in the articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,936 to Goldfarb discloses a process and apparatus where a focused laser beam causes local destruction within a solid article, without effecting the surface thereof. The apparatus for etching an image within a solid article includes a laser focused to a focal point within the article. The position of the article with respect to the focal point is varied. Control means, coupled to the laser, and positioning means are provided for firing the laser so that a local disruption occurs within the article to form the image within the article.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,244 to Erokhin discloses a technique which depends on a particular optical system including a diffraction limited Q-switched laser (preferably a solid-state single-mode TEM00) aimed into a defocusing lens having a variable focal length to control the light impinging on a subsequent focusing lens that refocuses the laser beam onto the transparent article being etched. The laser power level, operation of the defocusing lens, and the movement of the transparent article being etched are all controlled by a computer. The computer operates to reproduce a pre-programmed three-dimensional image inside the transparent article being etched. In the computer memory, the image is presented as arrays of picture elements on various parallel planes. The optical system is controlled to reproduce the stored arrays of picture elements inside the transparent material. A method for forming a predetermined half-tone image is disclosed. Accordance to the method, microdestructions of a first size are created to form a first portion of the image and microdestruction of a second size different from the first size are created to form a second portion of the image. Microdestructions of different sizes are created by changing the laser beam focusing sharpness and the radiation power thereof before each shot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,886,318 to A. Vasiliev and B. Goldfarb discloses a method for laser-assisted image formation in transparent specimens, which consists in establishing a laser beam having different angular divergence values in two mutually square planes. An angle between the plane with a maximum laser beam angular divergence and the surface of the image portion being formed is changed to suit the required contrast of an image.
EPO Patent Document 0743128 to Balickas et al. disclose a method of marking products made of transparent materials which involves concentration of a laser beam in the material which does not absorb the beam, at a predetermined location, destruction of the material by laser pulses and formation of the marking symbol by displacement of the laser beam. Destruction of the material at that location takes place in two stages. In the first stage, the resistance of the material to laser radiation is altered, while, in the second stage, destruction of the material takes place at that location.
Russian patent publication RU 20082288 to S. V. Oshemkov discloses a process for laser forming of images in solid media by the way of focusing of laser radiation in a point inside a sample which differs by following: with the aim to save the surface and the volume of the sample before the definite point and creation of three dimensional images, the sample is illuminated with the power density higher than the threshold of volume breakdown and moving the sample relatively to the laser beam in three orthogonal directions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,087,617 to Troitski et al. discloses a computer graphic system for producing an image inside optically transparent material. An image reproducible inside optically transparent material by the system is defined by potential etch points, in which the breakdowns required to create the image in the selected optically transparent material are possible. The potential etch points are generated based on the characteristics of the selected optically transparent material. If the number of the potential etch points exceeds a predetermined number, the system carries out an optimization routine that allows the number of the generated etch points to be reduced based on their size. To prevent the distortion of the reproduced image due to the refraction of the optically transparent material, the coordinates of the generated etch points are adjusted to correct their positions along a selected laser beam direction.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/354,236 to Troitski discloses a laser-computer graphic system for generating portrait and 3-D reproductions inside optically transparent material. The invention discloses the method for production of a portrait with the same gray shades like a computer image by using a multi-layer picture. Points of every layer are arranged so that the distance between adjacent etch points are equal to the minimal distance between etch points that can be provided without the breakage of the material. Every layer is parallel with respect to the portrait plane, and distance between parallel planes is set equal to minimal distance at which the breakage of the material does not occur.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,333,486 to Troitski discloses method and laser system for creation of laser-induced damages to produce high quality images. Accordance to the invention, a laser-induced damage is produced by simultaneously generating breakdowns in several separate focused small points inside the transparent material area corresponding to this etch point. Damage brightness is controlled by variation of a number of separate focused small points inside the transparent material area.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/583,454 to Troitski discloses method and laser system controlling breakdown process development and space structure of laser radiation for production of high quality laser-induced damage images. Accordance to the invention, at the beginning an applied laser radiation level just exceeds an energy threshold for creating a plasma condition in the material, and thereafter the energy level of the applied laser radiation is just maintain the plasma condition. Accordance to another method a laser generates a TEMmn radiation. The values of the integers m and n are controlled and determined so as to reproduce particular gray shades for a particular point of an image.
Analyzing the systems and apparatus of all aforementioned Patents it is clear that they disclose production of laser-induced damage images only by using the simplest systems, which focus laser beam inside a transparent material. The systems displace mutually a transparent material and a laser beam in order to establish a next damage. It is important to notice that the systems can""t produce the high quality laser-induced damage images with high speed. For implementation of more perfect systems for high-speed production of high quality laser-induced damage images it is necessary to use more modem systems performing more complicated reformations of laser beams such as their space modulation; splitting general laser beam into a plurality of separate beams; directing the separate laser beams onto a target point within a sample such that the pulses of the separate beams are overlapped to create an intensity sufficient to treat the sample; using beam deflection with moving focus-deflection assembly and the article in different direction simultaneously.
A number of techniques for realization of such laser beams reformation are well known.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,739 to Mattelin discloses a method and apparatus for simultaneously labeling or inscribing two parts by using a laser beam, characterized by a beam from a laser being subdivided into two sub-beams which are guided to a deflection optic system with different angles of incidence so than the deflected sub beams when focused on a work surface are laterally displaced to enable inscribing or labeling two parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,560 to Tatah et al discloses apparatus for treating a material that includes an ultraviolet laser for generating an ultraviolet wavelength laser beam having femtosecond pulse and directing that ultraviolet wavelength laser beam onto a beam splitter; a beam splitter for splitting the ultraviolet wave length laser beam into a plurality of separate laser beams having femtosecond pulses; directing the separate laser beams onto a target point within a sample such that the femtosecond pulses of the separate beams overlap to create an intensity sufficient to treat the sample.
Japanese patent publication 52-39893 to Hosokawa et al. discloses a device used in working a material by irradiating a laser beam. A laser beam-irradiating device has a plurality of reflection mirrors for bending horizontal laser beams emitted by a laser oscillator toward a direction of a material to be worked, and has a plurality of focusing lens for focusing the laser beams reflected from the reflection mirror, on the material. One laser beam emitted by the oscillator is divided by a combination of a half mirror and a whole reflection mirror into the plurality of laser beams and is led to each corresponding focusing lens through the corresponding reflection mirror.
Japanese patent publication 1-233086 to Tanaka discloses a laser beam machine in which beam splitters are arranged in series on the laser beam path of a laser oscillator and a total reflection mirror is provided on the extension line thereof. In this case, the branching ratio of the reflection and transmission rates of the splitters is adequately set to uniformize the beam output to each laser head.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,475 to Sweatt et al. discloses a technique in which a circular optical beam, for example a copper vapor laser beam, is converted to a beam having a profile other than circular, e.g. square or triangular. This is accomplished by utilizing a single optical mirror having a reflecting surface designed in accordance with a specifically derived formula in order to make the necessary transformation, without any substantial light loss and without changing substantially the intensity profile of the circular beam, which has a substantially uniform intensity profile. In this way, the output beam can be readily directed into the dye cell of dye laser.
Japanese patent publication JP409184706A to Ukigusa et al. discloses a system in which a beam splitter reflects a part of the incident light from a reflecting mirror toward a measuring optical system. A mask, acting as a to-be-measured body, is vertically irradiated with the incident light from an objective lens through a light transmitting layer. Meanwhile, the focus setting optical system consists of reflecting mirror, a shutter, a beam splitter, a focus setting photodetector, a focusing lens and a focus setting objective lens, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,309 to Goruganthu et al. discloses laser system in which a first laser beam and a second laser beam with a longer wavelength than the first laser beam are directed at a first metal member in contact with a second metal member. At the ambient temperature the first member has high absorption of energy from the first laser beam but low absorption of energy from the second laser beam. As the first member absorbs energy from the first laser beam the temperature of the first member increases and the reflectivity of the first member decreases so that the first member has high absorption of energy from the second laser beam.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,701 to Maeda et al. discloses a device for switching a scanning beam diameter, incorporated into a picture image scanning and recording device, which switches the diameter of the scanning beam in response to the density of number of scanning lines. Such laser beams reformations are well known.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,454 to Yoshida et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,747 to Yoshida et al. disclose a method the formation of a diffraction grating on a substrate using a holographic technique and an etching technique, wherein the periodicity of the pattern of the diffraction grating can be changed at will by a change of the light-path length of one of the two light fluxes from a holographic exposing system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,511 to Leger discloses a method for marking a custom phase-conjugating diffractive mirror comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a specified beam mode profile a1(x,y) that will suit need of said designer, (b) calculating the mode profile b(xxe2x80x2,yxe2x80x2) which is a value of the specified beam a1(x,y) that is propagated to the reflection surface of the diffractive mirror and (c) calculating mirror reflectance t(xxe2x80x2,yxe2x80x2) which reflects phase conjugate of b(xxe2x80x2,yxe2x80x2).
The purpose of the present invention is disclosing of the laser system for high-speed production of high quality laser-induced damage images based on high-end technology.
The present invention has its principal task to provide a system for high-speed production of high quality laser-induced damage image, which has the large number of the damages.
One or more embodiments of the invention disclose a system, which produces laser-induced damages by using the combination of an electro-optical deflector and means for moving the article or focusing optical system. The combination of the said devices together with using of two laser beams allows increase the image production speed substantially, without the image deterioration.
One or more embodiments of the invention disclose a system for creation of a laser-induced damage by generation of breakdowns at several separate centers by using the computing phase hologram, the phase structure of which is calculated so that the laser beam passing through the hologram is focused at several spots.
One or more embodiments of the invention disclose a system for creation of a laser-induced damage by generation of breakdowns at area where two laser beams intersect. This decreases the image deterioration conditioned by the use of a deflector.
One or more embodiments of the invention disclose a system for creation of a laser-induced damage, which can have different brightness for two mutually perpendicular directions and its values can be controlled during image production.